Sheet-separating and feeding means for addressing machines



Feb. 19, 1963 K. A. SUMIDA 3, ,8

SHEET-SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 TOR. Kama A. SUM/0A Feb. 19, 1963 K. A. SUMIDA SHEET SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR. Ku/vm A. 5uM/0A Feb. 19, 1963 .,K. A. SUMIDA SHEET-SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Aug. 8, 1960 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY K. A. SUMIDA 3,077,833

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 19, 1963 SHEET-SEPARATING AND FEEDING MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 8, 1960 w m Q INVENTOR. 1 Ku/wo ,4. 5l/M/0A MSN inite 3,d7'7,833 SEfiET-SFEPARATENG AND FEEDKNG MEANS FGR ADDRESSEIG MAQHINES Kunio A. Sumida, 1114 N. llfcnter Ave, Los Angeles 49, Calif.

(lriginal application Aug. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 48,178, now Patent No. $851383, dated Aug. 28, 1962. Divrded and this application Nov. 2t), 1961, Ser. No. 153,591

2 Claims. (ill. DBL-132.5)

This invention relates to a machine for addressing envelopes, postcards or other mailing pieces, as well as imprinting upon rectangular sheets or cards, generally.

This application is a division of my pending application, Serial No. 48,178, filed August 8, 1960, now U.S. Patent No. 3,051,083, and titled Addressing Machine.

Prior addressing machines embody faults and are objectionable for one or more of the following reasons:

Machines that use metal plate master or imprinting elements require noisy and expensive composing and embossing techniques; use bulky, heavy, costly and spaceconsuming metal plates; and prevent direct keeping of visual records (name, address, etc.) on the metal plate. Machines that use stencils require inking apparatus; stencils that are bulky and expensive, since stencil holders are required; and, as above, visual records cannot be kept on stencils. In machines that use a spirit duplicating process with a spirit master in roll form, changing of the master list is difficult because splicing is entailed for both additions to the list and deletions therefrom; and manual feed of both the master and copy sheets or pieces is usually involved. A machine using a spirit master file card requires a special holder for the master cards and manual feed of the copy material or pieces.

An object of the present invention is to provide an addressing machine that obviates the above-listed disadvantages and provides a machine, based on the commonly used spirit duplicating process that expeditiously and with easy facility, simultaneously and automatically feeds the master and copy material to cause the former to imprint on the latter and then effect a separation of the master elements and the imprinted copy elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character referred to, that can be easily set up to handle various types and sizes of mailing pieces, such as postcards, combined post and return cards, envelopes ranging from #6 to sizes, and letter-size folders.

A further bjeet of the invention is to provide a machine that, in addition to addressing mailing pieces, may imprint other matter on sheets or cards, as well as information on time cards, job cards, etc.

Delivery of a stack of master elements as well as of the imprinted copy, each in proper stacked relationship after addressing or imprinting, is important. Since the stack of master elements is to be used again, it is desirable that the same be delivered by the machine in such order that re-shuttling is not necessary before such subsequent use may be effected. Also, retention of alphabetical sequence, in an A to Z relationship rather than the reverse, is desired, since inspection and/ or additions or deletions in the list may be more readily and accurately effected in such A to Z order. in prior machines, special means is provided for manipulating, as by flipping over, either the master elements or the imprinted copies before the same are stacked. The present invention had for another object to provide a machine in which the relationship of the master elements and copy members is so arranged that the same stack in separate receiving trays in proper alphabetical order directly upon discharge or movement past an imprinting area.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means for feeding master and copy elements together in correctly timed relationship regardless of variations in the size of the copy elements and of change or shift of the location of the imprint on the copy elements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple machine of the type referred to in which feed of the copy and the master elements is effected on a one-at-a-time basis without resort to special sheet-separating means, as in prior machines.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an addressing machine according to the present invention.

F IG. 2 is a similar view of the other side.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan View, portions of the machine being broken away for clarity of illustration.

RIG. 4 is a simplified and fragmentary side view of the feed and impression portions of the machine, showing the paths of movement of the master and copy elements.

PEG. 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a face view showing the data-bearing or reverse side of a master element.

FIG. 8, to a smaller scale, schematically shows the relationship of the master and copy elements during imprinting and the separate paths taken by said elements to stacked positions.

The addressing or imprinting machine that is illustrated comprises, generally, a frame 1? that rigidly includes a support 11 for a stack of master elements M on one side, and a support 12 for a stack of copy elements C on the opposite side, means 3 for locating and holding each stack in feed position, means 14 to feed the master elements, similar means 153 to feed copy elements, cam means 16 to synchronously control the feed means 14 and is", a handle 17 to turn said cams to etfect successive feeding of the master and copy elements, an impression drum 18 that is rotated by said handle, a stripper member 19 in such relation to the drum as to strip away a copy element C from the related master element M after imprinting by the latter on the former, means 24 in the path of movement of the copy elements to wet the same in advance of imprinting thereon, means 21 providing a supply of wetting agent to the means 2d, an impression roller 22, cooperating with the drum 18 to elfect an imprinting operation on elements M and C being synchronously fed, an ejector roller means 253 at the exit end of the stripper member 19, a tray 24 to collect and stack the master elements after imprinting, and a tray 2.5 to collect and stack the imprinted copy elements. This invention is more particularly concerned with the frame Ill and its stack supports 11 and 12, the stack-locating and -holding means 13, the feed means 1 5 and 15, and the cam means 16 for synchronously controlling the feed means. The above means in combination with the impression drum 13, the impression roller 22, and a common drive for the feed wheels, cams and drum, as under control of the handle 1'7 also constitutes an important part of the present inventionv The frame is shown as comprising a base member 36 and two side members 31 and 32 affixed to said base member to form a U-shaped frame that is open at the top and at the ends between the side members 31 and 32; across said open top and spanning between the side members is provided a member that has a horizontal top 33 from which downwardly extend vertical walls 34 and 35, the former on the side toward the support 11, and the latter on the side toward the support 12. An opening 36 is formed in the wall 34 and a similar opening 37 is formed in wall 35, the two openings being offset, as can best be seen in FIG. 6. Said spanning member is disposed substantially centrally between the supports 11 and 12.

The support 11 for the stack of master elements M comprises a horizontal floor 38 that spans between and is affixed to the frame sides 31 and 32, said floor being provided with a lip 39 that is disposed below and in spaced relation to the lower edge of vertical wall 34. The line of bend of said lip is spaced outwardly from wall 34 and the slope thereof is downward and inward from said line of bend. It will be clear that a master element M of flexible card form, when in fiatwise position against the outer face of wall 34, will have its lower edge in contact with the lip 39, while all the other elements M of the stack will be resting on the floor 38. If a force is applied on the innermost element M to move the same in a downward direction, the angle of sloping lip 39 will cause the lower portion of the element to flex inwardly and, thereby, cause the element to move downwardly past the edge of the lip.

The support 12 for the stack of copy elements C also has a horizontal floor 40 and a downwardly and inwardly sloping lip 41 that has the same relationship to the lower edge of vertical wall 35 as has the lip 39 to wall 34. Therefore, upon application of a downward force on an element C in flatwise engagement with wall 35, said ele ment will feed past the inner edge of lip 41 as does element M.

In this instance, the copy elements C are longer than the master elements M and require a longer period of feed to move toward their respective collecting trays 25 and 24. Although the synchrony of the feed may be varied by change in the orientation of the cam means 16, the feed relationship of the elements C and M is more readily adjusted by locating the support 12 at a level lower than support 11, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The locating and holding means 13 for the stack of elements M comprises a bail member 4-2 that has pivots 43 in the frame sides 31 and 32, and is biased by a spring 44 to press said stack in a direction toward the wall 34. Said means, for the stack of elements C, comprises a bail member 4-5 on pivots 46, and a biasing spring 47. The stack M, as can be seen from FIG. 3, has a position against the inner face of frame side 32, while stack C may be located between members 48 and 49, both carried by the top 33 and/or the wall 35. Of course, the transverse orientation of the stacks M and C may be varied, the one shown in FIG. 3 conforming to the transverse relationship shown in FIG. 8.

The means 14 is shown as a feed wheel 59 that is rotated by a driven shaft 51 carried by a bracket 52 aflixed to a rockshaft 53. Said latter shaft extends between the frame sides 31 and 32 and is journalled therein, an extension of said shaft being provided with an arm 54 on which is carried a cam roller 55. Said wheel is disposed in register with opening 36 in wall 34 and, depending on cam bias against roller 55, is either projected to bear against a. master element adjacent wall 34, as in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, or retracted, as suggested by the dot-dasl1 lines in FIG. 4-. Rotation of shaft 51 during a projected position of the wheel 5t) will frictionally bias such a master element to feed the same downwardly past lip 39, as above described.

The means for feeding copy elements is substantially the same. A feed wheel 56, in register with opening 37 in wall 35 and on a driven shaft 57, engages copy elements C to feed the same past lip 41, as before described. Shaft 57 is carried by a bracket 58 affixed to a rockshaft 59 similar to rockshaft 53. An extension on rockshaft 59 is provided with an arm 63 on which is carried a cam roller 61.

The two shafts 52 and 57 are provided with sprocket wheels 62 and 63, respectively, and are engaged by an endless drive chain 64 that is also engaged around a sprocket wheel 65 on a shaft 66 extending between and having bearing in the frame sides 31 and 32. A chain tightener 67 takes up slack in said chain and responds to projected andretracted positions of the wheels 50 and 56. The handle 17 is provided on shaft 66 and a single turn of said handle will cause a single rotation of shaft 66 and, because of the difference in size between sprocket wheels 62 and 63 and of larger sprocket wheel 65, the wheels 50 and 56 will be turned several rotations to effect feed movement of elements M and C.

These rotations of the wheels 50 and 56 will be effective to feed elements M and C only when the same are projected through the openings 36 and 37. Such projection is effected by the cam means 16 which is here shown as a cam 68 that is engaged by roller 55, and a cam 69 that is engagedby roller 61. Said cams are carried by shaft 66 and may be angularly relatively adjusted to obtain the exact synchrony of feed of elements M and C that is desired.

The impression drum 18 is afiixed to shaft 66 and makes a single rotation for each rotation of handle 17. Thus, the one handle simultaneously feeds elements M and C and moves the same in synchronous register past the impression point between drum 18 and impression roller 22. The drum 18 is so placed relative to the elements M and C being fed, that the element M engages the cylindrical face of the drum with the element C on the outside thereof.

The stripper member 19 comprises a sheet metal member that is affixed to the inner face of frame side 32. The same is formed to have an arcuate portion 70 that is transversely coextensive with the drum and spaced therefrom to provide clearance for an element M to move with the drum during rotation of the latter, a straight upper extension 71 that has an upper end located against the rockshaft 53, and inwardly spaced from the edge of lip 39 so that elements M moving past said lip may be guided by said extension between the arcuate portion 70 and the drum, a stripper flange 72 spaced from the lower edge of portion 70, a space 73 being defined between said flange and said edge, thereby exposing an element M trained around the drum, and a terminal flange 74 at the lower forward portion of the stripper member, the same being downwardly directed and having an opening 75 formed therein, as may be seen in FIG. 6.

The means 26 is shown as a wick 76 that extends across the frame between sides 31 and 32, and is carried, as by end brackets, by the lip 41 of copy element support 12. Said wick is spaced from the lip to allow the elements C to move over the lip as above described. An applicator roller 77 receives moisture with which wick 76 is saturated, said roller being rubber covered and driven by chain 64 through a sprocket wheel 77a on the shaft of said roller, and a pressure roller 78 is associated with roller 77 to press elements 'C moving between them into wetting engagement with roller 77. The roller 78 is made of absorbent material and is carried by bellcrank levers 79 at the ends, the same being biased by springs 80 to create the mentioned pressure between rollers 77 and 73. The wick is held in flexed contact with roller 77 by a pressure plate 81 that has a position below and against the rockshafts 53 and 59. Thus, the elements C are wetted on their faces that engage roller 77, these faces being directed toward the drum 18 as the elements move into engagement with the elements M that are being aowgesa fed and moved between said drum and the stripper member 19.

Water is ordinarily used as the wetting liquid, the same being directed to saturate the wick by the means 21. Said means is shown as a tank 82 that is disposed beneath the support 12 and carried by a bracket plate 83 spanning between the frame sides 31 and 32. Said tank has a filler cap 84 and is provided with two nipples 85 and 86, as can best be seen in FIG. 3. A bracket 87 on the outer face of frame side 31 mounts a plunger type pump S8, the hollow plunger 89 of which is engaged by anextension 99 of the arm 60. Said plunger, in the usual way, is spring-biased to extended position to draw water from nipple '85, through a tube 91, into the pump barrel. Upon depression of the plunger 89 during operation of the machine by means of handle 17, the water collected in the pump barrel is displaced through the hollow of the plunger into a flexible conduit 92 which directs water to one end of the wick. To insure against over-supply of water to the wick, the opposite end is connected to a flexible conduit 93 which connects to the other nipple 86. The conduit provides an overflow line since the same is subject to the same suction that draws water into tube 91 when the pump plunger is extended. The usual check valves are provided in the pump so that same has the single pump action above described, once for each rotation of the handle 17.

The impression roller 22 is rubber covered, as shown in FIG. 5, and is carried by bellcrank levers 95 that are biased by the mentioned springs 80 to create pressure, forcing two elements C and M into such engagement that spirit-processed indicia 96 on element M (FIG. 8) are impressed on the wetted surface of the copy element just before the stripper flange 72 separates the leading edge of the element C as the two elements progress toward the terminal flange 74 of the stripper member '19. In this manner, the indicia 96 on the successive master elements M are successively imprinted on the copy elements C.

The leading edges of the copy elements C encounter a deflector member 97 that so engages one side edge portion of each said element as it move-s toward the tray 25, that the same is laterally displaced out of its normal path to a position against the inner face of frame side 31'. FIG. 6 shows this relationship of path (the drum 18), deflector member 97 and frame side 31, and suggests at 98 how the imprinted elements C are stacked at the left as viewed from the front of the machine.

The ejector roller means 23 comprises a roller 99 on a bracket arm res that is biased by a spring m1 on its pivot M2 to impose a light pressure on the master elements M as they exit from the stripper member 19. Such pressure keeps the elements M in a straight-out position out of contact with the tray 24 until the trailing portion-s of said elements are moved past said roller 99. Then, the elements C will drop gently into tray 2.4, being guided by the flange '74 while so doing. The master elements stack up at the right of the tray 24, since they retain their single path movement from beginning to end.

The trays 24 and 25 are shown as being capable of shift from receiving positions and positions retracted within the perimeter of the frame (the latter positions being shown. in dot-dash lines), to render the machine compact for convenient portability.

It will be noted, from FIG. 8, that the elements M and C from vertical positions are moved in paths around approximately 90 (a little more than 90 for the elements M, and a little less for elements C), and stacked at the ends of said paths without turning of said elements. In practice, the carbon or imprinting sides 96 of the master elements M are placed on the support 11 facing toward the wall 34. Since the indicia 96 read backward, the opposite face of each element M is provided with identifying legends or other indicia 103 which, as seen from FIG. 7, can be read easily. Thus, when such elements M are in an A to Z stacked arrangement, the sides bearing legends 103 are uppermost and any element of the stack can easily be located and the stack added to or reduced, as desired, with easy facility. The stack in this normal condition is placed on support 11, with the sides 96 thereof toward wall 34. Thus, the legend sides 103 are. faced outwardly and can easily be read so that additions or removals of elements may be easily effected without need for removing the stack from the machine.

When said elements M pile up on tray 24, they will be in exactly the same relationship as when in the original stack. As a consequence, the stack, without change or shift, may be replaced on support 11 for another run.

The elements C, being printed in a Z to A sequence because the stack of master elements feeds in such sequence, pile up on tray 25, printed side up, so that the completed pile is in A to Z sequence from the top down. Thus, it is a simple matter to add or remove elements from the pile and, generally, to render inspection thereof easy.

FIG. 8 shows copy elements C and C, which are smaller in size than elements C, and the manner of their orientation with the same master elements M. Only a shift in the position of gauge member 49 is needed to enable the machine to handle such differently sized elements C. As to lengths of elements C, cam adjustments may be made accordingly.

The term addressing as used in the following claims is intended to include imprinting on a copy element of addresses or other indicia 96.

A mixture of water and alcohol instead of water alone may be used for wetting the copy elements before imprinting.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an addressing machine, a horizontal support for a stack of sheet-like elements disposed on edge on said support, a wall normal to said support and having a lower edge spaced thereabove, the stack being adapted to be positioned in flatwise engagement with said wall, means imposing a resilient bias on said stack in a direction toward the wall, a downwardly and inwardly sloping lip on the support below said wall edge, a bend being defined where the lip joins the support, said wall having an opening, and means projecting through said opening into frictional engagement with that element of said stack that is in flatwise contact with the wall to frictionally force said element to move in a direction toward the lip to cause the lower edge of said element to be flexed inwardly by the lip beyond the bend thereof during such movement and, thereby, to feed said element edgewise from the stack between said wall edge and said lip, said latter means comprising a driven feed wheel that projects partly through said opening and rotates in a direction to force the element downwardly, means to move said wheel toward and from element-feeding position to regulate the feed of successive elements from the stack, a second horizontal support for a second stack of sheet-like elements disposed on edge on said support, a second wall parallel to the first wall and having a lower edge spaced above said second support, said second stack being adapted to be positioned in flatwise engagement with said second wall, means to impose a resilient bias on the second stack in a direction toward the wall, a downwardly and inwardly sloping lip on the second support below the edge of the second wall, a bend being defined where the lip joins the support, said second wall 7 having an opening, and means projecting through said opening into frictional engagement with that element of the second stack that is in fiatwise contact with the second wall to frictionally force the latter element to move in a direction toward the second lip to cause the lower edge of said latter element to be flexed inwardly by said second lip beyond the bend thereof during such movement of the latter element and, thereby, to feed said latter element edgewise from the stack between the edge of the second wall and the second lip, said second feed means comprising a driven feed wheel that projects partly through said opening in the second wall and rotates in a direction to force the second element downwardly, means to move the second driven wheel toward and from element-feed-ingposition to regulate the feed-of successive elements from the second stack, and independently adjustable cams provided for each said regulating means, thereby to effect synchrony of feed of elements as desired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 852,100 Bullard Apr. 30, 1907 2,080,968 Krell May 18, 1937 2,925,031 Williams Feb. 16, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 154,289 Austria Sept. 10, 1938 

1. IN AN ADDRESSING MACHINE, A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR A STACK OF SHEET-LIKE ELEMENTS DISPOSED ON EDGE ON SAID SUPPORT, A WALL NORMAL TO SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE SPACED THEREABOVE, THE STACK BEING ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN FLATWISE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WALL, MEANS IMPOSING A RESILIENT BIAS ON SAID STACK IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE WALL, A DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SLOPING LIP ON THE SUPPORT BELOW SAID WALL EDGE, A BEND BEING DEFINED WHERE THE LIP JOINS THE SUPPORT, SAID WALL HAVING AN OPENING, AND MEANS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THAT ELEMENT OF SAID STACK THAT IS IN FLATWISE CONTACT WITH THE WALL TO FRICTIONALLY FORCE SAID ELEMENT TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE LIP TO CAUSE THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID ELEMENT TO BE FLEXED INWARDLY BY THE LIP BEYOND THE BEND THEREOF DURING SUCH MOVEMENT AND, THEREBY, TO FEED SAID ELEMENT EDGEWISE FROM THE STACK BETWEEN SAID WALL EDGE AND SAID LIP, SAID LATTER MEANS COMPRISING A DRIVEN FEED WHEEL THAT PROJECTS PARTLY THROUGH SAID OPENING AND ROTATES IN A DIRECTION TO FORCE THE ELEMENT DOWNWARDLY, MEANS TO MOVE SAID WHEEL TOWARD AND FROM ELEMENT-FEEDING POSITION TO REGULATE THE FEED OF SUCCESSIVE ELEMENTS FROM THE STACK, A SECOND HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR A SECOND STACK OF SHEET-LIKE ELEMENTS DISPOSED ON EDGE ON SAID SUPPORT, A SECOND WALL PARALLEL TO THE FIRST WALL AND HAVING A LOWER EDGE SPACED ABOVE SAID SECOND SUPPORT, SAID SECOND 